Letters: Who does the Government believe we need protecting from?

Who does Judith Collins believe New Zealand needs protecting from?

Letters to the Editor

Collins’ comments like a blast from the past

Back in the 1960s, one National Party candidate used the phrase: “Asia is closer by plane than Wellington is by train.”

It was as though, by gravity, the Chinese communist hordes were about to flow down through Asia and Australia to do unspeakable things to us all.

At the weekend at Whenuapai airbase, Defence Minister Judith Collins dusted down that 60-year-old hymn book. “Distance no longer provides New Zealand the protection it once did,” she said in justifying plans for an eye-watering $13 billion spend on weapons of war.

For a Government insistent on business plans, where is the small print telling us what or who the $13b is actually protecting us from? And how such sabre-rattling might threaten trade with our biggest customer.

Brian Rudman, Ponsonby.

Missiles better than choppers

I am bewildered at what thought process goes into our defence spending.

As an island nation at the bottom of the world, any attack on our nation will be by sea, preceded by an aerial attack from an aircraft carrier on our infrastructure. As such, we should be investing in weapons that can take out ships and aircraft.

The most up-to-date Exocet missile will cost around $6 million. As such, 500 of them would cost $300m and could take out at least 50 warships.

Surely our limited defence budget should be spent first and foremost on defending us from an invasion? I am not sure what a helicopter is going to do against fighter jets and cruise missiles.

Kent Millar, Blockhouse Bay.

It’s a savage world

Helen Clark’s article (Weekend Herald, May 3) alleging that New Zealand is risking its diplomatic autonomy in defence matters fails to recognise that since David Lange’s tantrum around 1984 about a US naval vessel and its potential nuclear capabilities resulted in New Zealand’s exit from the Anzus Defence arrangement, we have lacked that umbrella protection.

The tired argument by Labour of who are our enemies is illogical. It is no good waiting until an enemy is about to turn up on our doorstep before increasing our defence capability, particularly as it is now virtually nil.

I fully support the increased defence expenditure and the moves surrounding Aukus.

In addition, the skills and technology which naturally arise from within our Defence Force will be of great benefit to New Zealand’s economy.

It is a savage world out there.

Bill Capamagian, Tauranga.

Ministers flouting the rules

Time and again we have seen instances where government ministers have been found flouting the rules for their own convenience.

Some have been minor, but some have the potential to have negative consequences for the security of various organisations, sectors and services, nationally and internationally.

One of the most significant is the misuse of personal email accounts for secure governmental communications. If Erica Stanford held a role in any other government department, she would run the risk of losing her job.

Time and again we have seen instances where ministerial offenders have had their hand slapped, the public offered something that passes for an apology, and a promise it won’t happen again.

There’s no justification for Stanford’s actions.

Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.

Mitchell’s retrograde policy

Police Minister Mark Mitchell’s approach to reducing reoffending by locking up people for longer is the most retrograde policy I’ve ever heard of. It’s like saying to a teenager: “I’ll lock you up for five years and then when I let you out you won’t do anything naughty.”

Why not focus on using the time people are serving to ensure they don’t reoffend? Not only does it save money for the state, it benefits us all.

A longer sentence does not equal rehabilitation. Let’s expect harder criminals on the streets in a few years.

Claris Harvey, Grey Lynn.

Trouble for the right

I find it hilarious that American President Donald Trump’s erratic and bombastic actions have cost the conservative right two elections and have led to the prospect of a party being banned.

Right-wing parties were leading in the polls going into the Canadian and Australian elections but ended up losing, while in Germany the AfD may be outlawed.

It is one of the delights of history that so often the overuse or misuse of power contributes to the downfall of the powerful.

Hitler thought he was so clever tearing up the nonaggression pact with Russia only to find, like Napoleon, that the Russian winter is a killer.

As Brer Rabbit said in one of the Uncle Remus stories: “Some goes up and some goes down, and that’s da way the world go round.”

Thank goodness for that.

Tony Sullivan, St Heliers.

Ducks and drones

Congratulations to the duck hunter who shot the drone belonging to an animal activist.

The activist then ran crying to the media but insisted he remained anonymous.

A true activist would not be ashamed to put his name to his convictions!

Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.